I remember when I first started out in business, email newsletters weren’t even on my radar. They seemed like a ‘nice-to-have’ for when I had time.
Fast forward and my email list is probably my most important marketing asset. It’s the tool that drives the most sales and brings me the most money. Who knew?
1. Building Real Relationships
Marketing is all about relationships. An email newsletter lets you show up in someone’s personal inbox – not fighting an algorithm, not competing with cat videos – just you, talking directly to them.
Share valuable tips, behind-the-scenes stories, and helpful advice. When you show up consistently with content that genuinely helps, people start to trust you – and trust is what makes people buy.
2. Staying Top Of Mind
How often have you found a business you loved on Instagram, then completely forgotten their name a week later? We’re all guilty of it. We’re busy, we get distracted, we’re human!
A regular newsletter fixes that. When your subscriber IS ready to buy, your name pops up because you’ve been showing up in their inbox consistently.
The winning combination:
- A website that clearly shows how you can help
- An irresistible freebie (a checklist, guide, or mini training) in exchange for their email
- A regular newsletter that keeps you front of mind
3. Positioning Yourself As The Expert
You ARE an expert. Your newsletter is the place to prove it. Share tips, answer common questions, give mini tutorials. Show your subscribers you know your stuff – and that you’re the perfect fit for them.
4. Showcasing What You Sell
There’s a good chance your customers are buying things from other people that they could be buying from YOU – simply because they don’t know you offer it. A monthly spotlight on a different product or service can remind them why they need to come back and have a look around.
5. You Own Your List (Unlike Social Media)
This is the big one. Instagram could change its algorithm tomorrow. TikTok could get banned. Facebook could shut down your page. It’s happened to people – and overnight they’ve lost access to their entire audience.
But your email list? That’s YOURS. Nobody can take it away. You send your emails direct to their inbox, no algorithm deciding whether they see it or not.
Email brings your marketing back within YOUR control.
How To Get Started
If you haven’t started building your email list yet, here’s what to do:
- Choose a platform. Flodesk, MailerLite and ConvertKit are all brilliant for small businesses. Mailchimp has a free plan to get you started.
- Create a freebie. A PDF checklist, a short video training, a discount code – something your ideal customer would love, in exchange for their email address. Use Canva to design it beautifully.
- Promote it everywhere. Link in bio on Instagram, pinned post on Facebook, pop-up on your website, mention it in your TikToks and Reels.
- Send consistently. Weekly, fortnightly, or monthly – pick a schedule and stick to it. Don’t give up after two sends because you think nobody’s reading. Keep at it!